FAMILY MISSES VARITEK'S DEBUT

Jason Varitek's mother, father and girlfriend should have caught an earlier flight. They missed Varitek's impressive Olympic baseball debut.

Varitek, formerly from Lake Brantley High School, had two hits and an RBI against Italy on Tuesday after getting the opportunity to start in place of catcher Charles Johnson.

Varitek doubled and singled in the 10-0 victory. But Varitek's parents, Joe and Donna, and girlfriend, Kelly Hartman, missed it. They arrive from Orlando today to watch the U.S team play Cuba. "They've kept me in the dark about when they were going to show up," Varitek said. "I thought they were going to be here for the Opening Ceremonies."

EVERETT OUT?

DANNY EVERETT, the U.S. champion and favorite in the 400-meter track event, said he may have to withdraw from next week's race because of chronic pain in his right Achilles' tendon. Everett, a bronze medalist at the 1988 Summer Games, ran the second-fastest 400 ever in 43.81 seconds last month at the U.S. Trials in New Orleans. "It doesn't really feel good," Everett said. "I don't want to go out there if I don't feel my best." If Everett doesn't run, Andrew Valmon, the fourth-fastest qualifier, is a likely replacement.

MAGIC QUESTIONABLE

MAGIC JOHNSON rested his injured right knee Tuesday, leaving his status as questionable for the U.S. basketball team's next game against Germany tonight. Johnson left Monday night's game early in the first half. Magnetic resonance imaging tests were negative but revealed a muscle strain in the back of the knee.

MOVING FINISH

OLYMPIC BOARDSAILORS experienced one of sport's worst nightmares - the finishing line moved. A line attached to the buoy marking the end of the race was caught in the propeller of a television boat. The buoy was dragged away to the other side of a judges' boat monitoring the finish. Some puzzled competitors, unsure where to go, finished on the wrong side of the buoy.

TRIMMING SWIMMING

WEAKER COMPETITORS from the lesser-known swimming nations will no longer have the chance to take on the stars at the Olympics. Swimmers will have to qualify for the 1996 Games in Atlanta. International Swimming Federation President Mustapha Larfaoui said competitors in the future will have to reach pre-set standards. At present, each country can enter two swimmers per event at the Games. "The IOC asked us to fix the time limits because of the increasing numbers," Larfaoui said.

OLYMPIC RATINGS

NBC GOT a 19.4 rating and a 35 share for Monday night's prime-time Olympic coverage, up 10 percent from the second night of competition in the Seoul Games four years ago, Nielsen Media Research said. For the three nights of overall coverage, NBC is averaging a 17.3 rating, up 5 percent, and a 33 share.